Evaluation of Metallurgical Quality of Cast Iron Using Quality Criteria

Abstract

The metallurgical quality of the produced cast iron is related to its chemical composition (mainly the content of C, Si, Mn, P, and S), or other monitored elements—alloying elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, …), in some cases showing elements (Pb, Sn, As, Sb, …). The chemical composition of cast iron is determined by the degree of saturation (Sc) or carbon equivalent (CE). Other factors influencing the quality of cast iron are the metallurgical conditions of production (melting and treatment) of cast iron and the rate of solidification in the mold. The mechanical properties of cast iron (Rm, HB, and E0) are closely related to its chemical composition. In addition to this common evaluation of cast iron, other quality criteria of gray cast iron are also used in practice. This is a comparison of the mechanical properties of the produced gray cast iron with the optimal values determined for the same degree of saturation (Sc). This chapter concerns assessments of the metallurgical quality of gray cast iron and the results of operational melting of synthetic gray cast iron with different charge compositions in the Slovak Foundry and its analysis.